Realme to hire 7,500 in India by year-end, outlines IoT expansion plan

Chinese smartphone maker Realme on Tuesday said it will hire 7,500 people in India by the end of the year, and will add a slew of IoT (Internet of Things) products like smart toothbrush, sweeping machine and smart locks as it expands its product portfolio in the country.

The company, which competes with players like Xiaomi and Samsung in India, outlined its '1+4+N' product strategy, saying it will help Realme further enhance its smartphone and IoT product portfolios.

The core smartphone business will be the main centre of Realme's ecosystem, along with smart hubs (Smart TV, Smart Earphone, Smart Watch and Smart Speaker) and IoT products (in-car chargers, backpacks, luggage cases, to smart home gadgets), Realme Vice-President and India CEO Madhav Sheth said in a statement.

He added that the company will very soon introduce products in the smart speaker category, along with smart watches, high-end TVs and smart headphones catering to budget to premium price segments.

"Amidst all of this, our focus has never been changed. We plan to increase our local workforce strength (at the facility) to 10,000 in India, by the end of this year," he said.

The number currently stands at about 7,500 staff.

Besides, the company is also expanding its distribution channels to tier-IV and V towns, and will hire more than 5,000 sales team members.

It currently has 1,800 members as part of its sales team.

Sheth said the company will soon start manufacturing some of its IoT products in India as part of its 'Make in India' efforts.

"We are also investing in a complete production line to build TV products and to set up high-end SMT (surface-mount technology) lines for TV motherboards, which is a real leap in terms of local manufacturing and a real challenge that many other leading brands haven't been able to take till date," he said.

A number of smartphone players have expanded their portfolio to include products like smart TVs, power banks, earphones and TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds to tap into the growing demand for tech products in the country.